Why Rupert Murdoch Fired Peter Liguori

The most
surprising aspects of last week's News Corp exec shakeup, the
ouster of Fox Broadcasting CEO and the promotion of Fox
Searchlight prez Peter Rice to head of entertainment for Fox TV,
have now been explained.

Liguori was never very close to Rupert Murdoch, making it easy
for Rupe to get rid of him to keep Peter Rice, head of Fox's
successful Searchlight studio whose contract would be up in a
year, in the fold, Variety says.

Rice had made some rumblings that he was looking at what to do
next -- and was interested in new challenges. He didn't push for
the TV job, but Murdoch saw an opportunity for Rice at Fox and
also a chance to inject the network with some new blood.

Still, insiders tell the trade that speculation that Murdoch is
grooming Rice to be his new No. 2 is premature. For now, Rice has
the not-small task of trying to grow and remodel the TV biz,
including finding a live-action comedy hit for Fox. Little
Miss Sunshine: the TV show perhaps?